Amusement device.



J. P. DOUGHERTY & M. BEEMAN.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE. APPLICATION IILIID MAR.15, 1012.

1,035, 1 68. Patented Aug. 13,1912.-

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES:

l/VVE/VTOHS' c W James/ 3500 fier/ 7 Mark 50(9/72/7 y 8. Z a; Z

A TTOR/VEY J. P. DOUGHERTY & M. BEEMAN.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE. APPLICATION TILED MAR.15, 1912.

1,035,168, Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

2 SHBBTSSIIEIIT 2.

WITNESSES." IIVVEIVTORS James R flauy/zerfy Mar/r Badman 9 BY 1 A TTOH/VEV COLUMBIA PLANDCIRAPII C0.,WA5HINC|TON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES P. DOUGHEETY AND MARK BEEMAN, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Au 13,1912.

Application filed. March 15, 1912. Serial No. 684,025.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES P. DouorrnR'rY and MARK BEEMAN, citizens of the United States, residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an amusement device, and particularly to that class in which an amusing exhibition is given to the player of the device, upon the event of his striking the center of a target with a projectile.

An object of the invention is to provide a movable platform, together with various levers and trigger devices, which will be operated by the projectile thrown by the player.

Another object is to provide a device which will attract and mystify the public.

Finally, the object is to provide a device of the character described, which will be strong, durable, comparatively easy to construct, and one in which the various parts are not likely to get out of working order.

With these and various other objects in view, this invention has relation to certain novel features of the construction and operation, an example of which is described in the following specification, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings; wherein,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device.

Fig. 2 1s a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a front elevation with the screen and a portion of the target removed. Fig. 4c is a detail sectional view on the line A--B of Fig. 3, showing only the two platforms and the upright members. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the sleeve and plunger on the line G-D of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like characters designate like parts in all the figures, the numeral 1 indicates the base or ground sills of the device. On the ground sills 1 are mounted the base members 2, to which are secured the upright members 3. On said ground sills 1, just in front of the base members 2, are secured the upright members 4. The members 4 are joined together by the target 5 over a part of their height, and at their upper end by the cross member 6, and are braced to the ground sills 1 by the guys 7. The frame composed of the upright 4:, the cross member 6 and the upper portion of the target 5, is covered by a screen netting 8, which has a mesh of such size as to prevent the projectiles thrown by the player passing therebeyond.

The target 5 is provided with a central aperture 9, adapted to receive the head of a spring-pressed plunger 10. Said target 5 is provided on its front side with a padding 5, and on its rear side with a reinforcing member 11. In the reinforcing member 11, and the aperture 9, is secured the forward end of a sleeve 12, adapted to guide the spring-pressed plunger 10, and to maintain it in a forward position with reference to the aperture 9.

The upright members 3, secured to the base members 2, are joined together by the cross pieces 13 and 14, and are braced to said base members 2 by the guys 15. A circular centrally apertured stationary platform 16 is rigidly secured to the said uprightmembers 3 in their upper portion. A sheave pulley 17 is rotatably mounted in an aperture in the upper extremity of each member 3, and is adapted to receive the counter balance cable 18, to one end of which is attached the counter balance weight 19, and to the other end of which is secured one end of the upper member 20, of the platform guiding frame. The rings 21 are suspended from the cross piece 1 1 by suitable chains or cables 22. The upper member 20 and the lower member 23, of the platform guiding frame, are secured together and in alinement by the threaded upper ends of the rods 24, the nuts 25, and the distance pieces 26. The platform 27 is rigidly secured to the upper member 20 of the guiding frame, and each of the members 20 and 23 is provided with rectangular recesses at its ends adapted to slidably engage the upright member 3. The rods 24: extend downward parallel with the upright members 3, and with each other, and pass through apertures provided in the cross piece 13. Said apertures are adapted to slidably engage the rods 24 and thus assist in guiding the members 20 and 23 in an up and down motion. The coil springs 28 are mounted on the rods 24 adjacent to the under side of the crosspiece 23, and are adapted to contact with the upper side of the cross piece 13 when the platform descends to its lower position, thus acting as shock absorbers.

A trigger or tripping mechanism, provided to normally sustain the platform in the position shown in ,the various figures, will now be described. A horizontal shaft 29 is journaled in bearings 30 attached to the upright members 3. At each end of said shaft, adjacent to the outer end of the bearings 30, are keyed the upright arms 31, which arms are formed at their upper ends to engage the under side of the ends of the platform 20. At the center of said shaft 29, a downwardly projecting arm 32 is keyed, and is adapted to receive a horizontal bar 33 at its lower extremity. The bar 33 is provided at one end with a slidably adjustable weight 34, and at the other end is slightly enlarged and adapted to bear against the rear extremity of the plunger 10. The oflice of the weight is to maintain the extremity of the bar 33 in contact with the plunger 10, and to return the shaft to its normal position after a displacement.

I11 operation, a person is positioned in the aperture in the platform 16, and stands upon the movable platform 27, where he or she is visible to the player through the screen netting 8. When the plunger 10 is struck by a suitable projectile, such as a ball, it is displaced rearwardly thus forcing bar 33 to the rear, and turning the shaft 29 through a partial revolution. Such rotation of the shaft displaces the upper ends of the arms 31 forwardly, which releases the platform 27, and allows it to descend to its lower position. The downward motion of said platform is materially retarded by the counter balance weights 19. After the platform has descended to its lower position, the subject who stands upon said platform, grasps the rings 21 in his or her hands and pulls downward on said rings, thus relieving the platform of suflicient weight to allow the counter balance weights 19 to return it to its original position. Vhen the platform has returned to its original position, the weight 34 causes the upper ends of the arms 31 toagain engage the lower side of the member 20. Adjacent to the upper end of one of the bars 31, a looped locking member 35 is pivoted upon the outer surface of one of the bars 3, its position being such that its looped extremity may be made to engage the end of the adjacent bar 31 if desired, thus preventing said bar from swinging out and allowing the platform to drop when the target is struck. The member 35 will normally occupy the position shown in full lines in the drawings, being prevented from swinging rearwardly by a pin 36. If the person upon the elevated platform wishes for any reason to render the device inoperative, this will be accomplished by swinging the member 35 slightly forward so that under the impulse of its own weight it will fall to a position adapting, it to engage the adjacent member 31.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in-the form and proportion of various parts of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and said invention is therefore presented as including all such changes and modifications as come within the scope of the following claims;

WVhat we claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a centrally apertured target and an upright frame work positioned to the rear of said target, of a screen placed above said target, a plunger positioned with its end in the aperture provided in the target, a centrally apertured stationary platform rigidly secured to the upright frame in its upper portion, a movable platform slidably engaging said upright frame, a trigger arrangement adapted to normally hold said movable platform in position, and means for returning said movable platform to its normal position after a downward displacement.

2. In a device of thecharacter described, the combination wit-h a centrally apertured target and an upright frame work positioned to the rear of said target, of a screen placed above said target, a plunger positioned with its end in the aperture provided in the target, a centrally apertured stationary plat-form rigidly secured to the upright frame in its upper portion, a movable platform slidably engaging said upright frame, a trigger arrangement adapted to normally hold said movable platform in position, swinging rings suspended from the upper portion of said upright frame work, and means for returning said movable platform to its normal posit-ion after a downward displacement.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a centrally apertured target and an upright frame work positioned to the rear of said target, of a wire netting screen placed above said target, a centrally apertured stationary platform rigidly secured to the upright frame in its upper portion, a platform frame composed of two cross pieces secured together by rods and distance pieces, a platform secured to the upper one of said cross pieces, and said rods extending downward and acting as guides, coiled springs mounted upon said rods near their upper extremity, a trigger arrangement adapted to normally hold said movable platform in position, swinging rings suspended from the upper portion of said upright frame work, and means for returning said movable platform to its normal position after a downward displacement.

4c. In a device of the character described the combination with a centrally apertured target and an upright frame work positioned to the rear of said target, of a wire'nettin'g screen placed above said target, asleeve pro vided in said aperture and extending to the rear thereof, a plunger having enlarged ends positioned with one of its enlarged ends slidably mounted in said sleeve, a coiledspring tending to force said plunger toward said aperture, a centrally apertured stationary platform rigidly secured to the upright frame in its upper portion, a platform frame composed of two cross pieces secured together by rods and distance pieces, a platform secured to the upper one of said cross pieces, and said rods extending downward and acting as guides, coiled springs mounted upon said rods near their upper extremity, a horizontal shaft journaled on said upright frame, upright releasing arms keyed to said shaft at its ends, a downwardly projecting operating arm keyed to said shaft at its center, a weighted thrust bar-carried at the lower end of said operating arm, swinging rings suspended from the upper portion of said upright frame work, and means for returning said movable platform to its normal position after a downward displacement.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

J AMES P. DOUGHERTY. MARK BEEMAN. Witnesses:

D. C. RAMsnY, J. S. MURRAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

